Movable drawer with railing adjustment

ABSTRACT

Moveable furniture part, in particular a drawer, with a railing rod arranged between a back wall and a front aperture, wherein the railing rod is attached via a pivoting adjustment element to the front aperture and by turning of the adjusting element, the front aperture is inclined, characterized in that upon turning of the adjusting element, both the distance (X) of the adjusting element to the front aperture and also to the railing rod is changed.

The invention concerns a movable furniture portion, in particular a drawer, having a rail bar arranged between a rear wall and a front panel, wherein the rail bar is mounted to the front panel by way of a rotatable adjusting member and the front panel is inclined by rotation of the adjusting member.

Movable furniture portions or drawers of that kind are already known and serve in particular for adapting and adjusting the front panels of a plurality of drawers arranged in mutually superposed or mutually juxtaposed relationship in one or more furniture carcasses. Those adjustments are effected in particular when installing the article of furniture to make the alignment line of the front side of the article of furniture as uniform as possible and to meet aesthetic demands.

DE 90 01 486 U1, DE 195 07 322 U1 and DE 198 30 740 A1 known from the state of the art concern furniture pull-out extension members with a front panel which is connected to a rail bar by a rotatable adjusting member (provided with a screwthread) (connecting sleeve 16 in DE 90 01 486 U1, adjusting nut 4 in DE 295 07 322 U1, adjusting nut 16 in DE 198 30 740 A1) and which is adjustable in its inclination by rotation of the adjusting member by way of a screwthread. AT 387 894 B describes and illustrates adjustment of the inclination of the front panel by rotation of the rail in a right-hand and a left-hand screwthread. DE 38 19 512 C1 in the embodiment of FIG. 9 shows adjustment of the inclination in relation to shelf assemblies by rotation of an adjusting member (reference 47) with a right-hand screwthread and a left-hand screwthread.

The German utility model specification bearing the number 89 12 349 discloses for that purposes a drawer rail in which a screw element is suspended from the front panel and connected to the rail by way of a screwthread. Rotation of that screw element causes a change in the spacing between the rear wall and front panel whereby the front panel is inclined with respect to the rest of the drawer. A disadvantage there is that the screw element is only suspended on the front panel and can be relatively fixedly connected to the front panel only by a sleeve which is pushed back.

Now the object of the invention is to provide an adjustment option for inclination of a front panel of a drawer, which is improved and simplified in comparison with the state of the art.

In the movable furniture portion according to the invention that is achieved in that upon rotation of the adjusting member both the spacing of the adjusting member relative to the front panel and also relative to the rail bar is changed. In other words when the adjusting member is rotated both the front panel and also the rail bar move relative to the adjusting member. That permits more effective adjustment as half a revolution of the adjusting member already provides the same longitudinal adjustment which requires a full revolution of the screw element in a construction as in the state of the art.

In a preferred embodiment it can be provided that the adjusting member is connected to the front panel and the rail bar by way of a respective screwthread, wherein one screwthread is a right-hand screwthread and the other is a left-hand screwthread. Accordingly by rotation of the adjusting member, the axis of rotation of which is oriented parallel to the rail, the overall length of the rail is correspondingly altered. In addition better fixing is ensured by the screw connection than by suspension engagement.

The front panel in itself and the rail bar can admittedly have the corresponding counterpart screwthread for the adjusting member, but it is advantageous if on the one hand the screwthread for the front panel is provided on a front panel fixing element which is preferably connected to the front panel by a spreading connection, and on the other hand the screwthread for the rail bar is provided in a connecting element which is preferably connected to the rail bar by a press connection. The spreading connection can in that case be in the form of a dowel which is fixed in the front panel.

It can further preferably be provided that the adjusting member has a male screwthread and a female screwthread. In that case the male screwthread of the adjusting member engages into the counterpart screwthread in the rail bar or the connecting element thereof while the female screwthread of the adjusting member embraces the corresponding counterpart thread of the front panel fixing element.

An alternative variant can provide that the adjusting member has two guide slots into which there respectively engage a guide projection on the one hand of the front panel fixing element and on the other hand of the connecting element so that when the adjusting member is rotated the spacing thereof relative to the front panel and to the rail bar is changed.

Further alternative examples of such structural configurations would be for example the provision of wedge surfaces on the adjusting member which, upon rotation, urge apart/draw together both the rail bar and also the front panel, or tapering wedge surfaces which are disposed inwardly in the adjusting member and which push the rail bar and the front panel back upon rotation thereof It would further be possible to provide internally guided cables or the like which upon rotation of the adjusting member are tensioned or relieved of load by way of a projection acting on the cables, thereby providing for adjustment at both sides. Alternatively it would also be possible to provide bands which are twisted upon rotation and thus shorten the spacing at both sides. In addition elastic portions could permit an adjustment, being pushed together or displaced at both sides upon rotation.

A further embodiment can provide that the adjusting member is in the form of an adjusting cylinder, preferably with a knurling at its peripheral surface. In that case the knurling serves in particular for better handling in terms of adjustment.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that the rail bar is connected to the rear wall by way of a snap connection element, and that the adjusting member is covered by a displaceable cover cap. In that case the cover cap serves for a better visual impression and to protect the complete adjusting mechanism.

A further embodiment can provide that as is known per se beneath the rail bar the front panel and the rear wall are connected by way of a frame, wherein by rotation of the adjusting member the front panel is inclined and said front panel inclination can be compensated by a spring arranged in or on a connecting element between the front panel and the frame. In that way stresses which possibly occur upon excessive inclination are prevented, which otherwise could damage in particular the connecting regions between the frame and the front panel. This design configuration can also provide a wedge-shaped gap between the front panel and the frame in accordance with the inclination.

Protection is also requested for an article of furniture having a movable furniture portion as set forth in one of claims 1 through 10.

Further details and advantages of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter by means of the specific description with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an article of furniture,

FIG. 2 shows a 3D view of an article of furniture,

FIG. 3 shows a view of a movable furniture portion,

FIG. 4 shows a view of a rail,

FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the component parts of a rail,

FIGS. 6 through 9 show comparative side views of a drawer with rail adjustment,

FIG. 10 shows a view of a drawer with a double rail, and

FIGS. 11 through 14 show diagrammatic views of an alternative variant of the adjusting member.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an article of furniture 15 having a furniture carcass 16 with three drawers 1 guided therein. In that respect, the detail portion E shows the inclination of two front panels which are inclined with respect to the orientation of the frame 12 and the furniture carcass 16. That results in the front panels 3 of the article of furniture 1 being of a stepped scale-like visual appearance. That inclination is achieved by or can be compensated by an adjusting mechanism according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows the movable furniture portion or the drawer 1 which comprises at least a rear wall 2, a front panel 3, the drawer frame 12 with drawer bottom 18 and two rail bars 4 with cover cap 11.

FIG. 4 shows a rail 19 in which the rail bar 4, the cover cap 11, the front panel fixing element 7 and the snap connection element 10 can be seen.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the rail 19, wherein it is possible to see here the adjusting mechanism in the form of an adjusting member 5 in conjunction with the connecting element 8 and the front panel fixing element 7. In this case the male screwthread 6 a of the adjusting member 5 can be connected to the counterpart screwthread 6 b of the connecting element 8 while the female screwthread 6 c is provided in conjunction with the counterpart screwthread 6 d of the front panel fixing element 7. After the connecting element 8 is inserted into the rail bar 4 they are preferably connected by pressing. The rail bar 4 can comprise a steel profile member in the form of a curved quadrangular tube, wherein both the connecting element 8 and also the snap connecting element 10 can be assembled to the rail bar 4 by a press connection. The snap connecting element 10 preferably engages laterally into the rear wall 2. The adjusting member 5 itself has a knurling 9 for better handleability thereof In addition provided on the adjusting member 5 is a wrench size 20 for adjustment or rotation of the adjusting member 5 by means of a suitable tool (for example an open-ended wrench).

FIGS. 6 and 7 show comparative side views of a drawer 1, wherein the cover cap 11 which has been pushed back allows a view of the adjusting mechanism in each case. In that respect, the spacing X between the adjusting member 5 and the front panel fixing element 7 as well as the rail bar 4 can be seen in the detail A. After rotation has been effected (detail D) that spacing X is changed on both sides. On the assumption that there is a comparable thread pitch, with half a revolution of the adjusting member 5, that already provides the same change in length as is achieved in the state of the art by a complete revolution.

It can be seen in that respect from FIG. 8 that severe inclination of the front panel occurs due to incorrect settings, an excessively short rail 19 or other irregularities. In that way severe stresses can occur in the connecting regions of the individual parts of the drawer 1. To preclude that severe loading or overstretching, arranged in the connecting element 13 between the front panel 3 and the frame 12 is a spring 14 which allows inclination of the frame 12 with respect to a front fitment mounted to the front panel 3 (this is not visible here). That causes a gap 17 between the front panel 3 and the frame 12.

FIG. 9 shows an inclination of the front panel 3 of a drawer 1, which is adapted or corrected (in contrast to FIG. 8).

FIG. 10 shows a variant with a double rail which has two adjustable rails 19 arranged in mutually superposed relationship on each side of the drawer 1.

FIG. 11 shows a diagrammatic side view of an alternative adjusting member 5 preferably provided with a mounting fit-on gap and having two guide slots 20 provided in the adjusting member 5. On the one hand the guide projection 21 of the front panel fixing element 7 and on the other hand the guide projection 21 of the connecting element 8 are guided in those guide slots 20. FIG. 12 shows in that respect a diagrammatic view in cross-section. When the adjusting member 5 is rotated in the clockwise direction the guide projection 21 is moved in the inclined guide slot 20 whereby the spacing between the adjusting member 5 and the front panel fixing element 7 or connecting element 8 is altered. Correspondingly FIG. 13 shows the spacing X which changes at both sides between the adjusting member and the front panel or drawer box. FIG. 14 shows a view in cross-section illustrating the position of the adjusting member 5 after rotation.

Thus the invention provides a compact, stable and uncomplicated length adjustment option for a rail for a drawer to be able to adjust the front panel inclination if the orientation of the panel with respect to the drawer, the orientation of the drawer with respect to the front side of the furniture carcass or the orientation of front panels of a plurality of drawers relative to each other is not parallel or is not in alignment, in order in particular to improve the visual properties (avoiding front panels which are arranged in a stepped scale-like configuration). 

1. A movable furniture portion, in particular a drawer, having a rail bar arranged between a rear wall and a front panel, wherein the rail bar is mounted to the front panel by way of a rotatable adjusting member and the front panel is inclined by rotation of the adjusting member, characterised in that upon rotation of the adjusting member both the spacing (X) of the adjusting member relative to the front panel and also relative to the rail bar is changed.
 2. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the adjusting member is connected to the front panel and the rail bar by way of a respective screwthread, wherein one screwthread is a right-hand screwthread and the other is a left-hand screwthread.
 3. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the screwthread for the front panel is provided on a front panel fixing element which is preferably connected to the front panel by a spreading connection.
 4. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the screwthread for the rail bar is provided in a connecting element which is preferably connected to the rail bar by a press connection.
 5. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the adjusting member has a male screwthread and a female screwthread.
 6. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the adjusting member is in the form of an adjusting cylinder, preferably with a knurling at its peripheral surface.
 7. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the adjusting member has a wrench size for adjustment of the adjusting member by means of a tool.
 8. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the rail bar is connected to the rear wall by way of a snap connection element.
 9. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the adjusting member is covered by a displaceable cover cap.
 10. A movable furniture portion as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that as is known per se beneath the rail bar the front panel and the rear wall are connected by way of a frame, wherein by rotation of the adjusting member the front panel is inclined and said front panel inclination can be compensated by a spring arranged in or on a connecting element between the front panel and the frame.
 11. An article of furniture having a movable furniture portion as set forth in claim
 1. 